A lot has been written about SAD (Seasonal Affective disorder) in recent years. My old GP was convinced that it’s a serious issue for a large proportion of people suffering from depression – do you agree? She told me that many of her patients benefitted from a 50% increase in antidepressants over the darker months of the year, and advised me to always wait until Spring before cutting down or giving up the SSRI pills.

This makes sense, but I don’t think SAD actually explains my ups and downs very well at all. The “festive period” is always a difficult time for me – all the  forced jollity, parties I don’t want to go to, jam packed pubs and restaurants, and, above all, ghastly memories of endless family rows over Xmas years ago;  I bet I’m far from alone in this. But the other most difficult time of the year for me is around August, when  a lot of the regular things that give my life some structure (especially in retirement) stop – adult education classes, meetings of local music clubs. Regular talks, charity fundraising committee meetings, some exercise classes – and my diary looks worryingly empty. I’m just not good at doing nothing, and I seem to have an inherent need for structure in my life.   

Does this chime with anyone else?”

Oldie But Goldie

A Moodscope member.